Foundry has released Nuke Stage, a new application designed specifically for virtual production and in-camera visual effects (ICVFX). As virtual production becomes increasingly central in film and television, tools like Nuke Stage are developed to simplify complex workflows while keeping creative control in the hands of artists. This standalone tool connects every stage of the production pipeline, from pre-visualization and layout to principal photography and final delivery.
Streamlined Real-Time Workflow
Nuke Stage offers real-time playback of photorealistic environments projected onto LED volumes. This capability allows production teams to visualize and manipulate digital sets during filming, merging physical and virtual elements seamlessly. Artists can adjust lighting, layout, and compositing live on set, reducing the need for extensive post-production revisions and enabling quicker creative decisions.
The software supports live compositing through a robust, node-based system optimized for real-time performance. This allows integration of virtual assets with physical elements and enables accurate previews of final shots. It uses familiar VFX toolsets and industry-standard formats such as OpenUSD, OpenEXR, and OpenColorIO, making it compatible with most professional workflows.
Compatibility and Flexibility
One of the key advantages of Nuke Stage is its hardware-agnostic approach. Unlike many virtual production solutions that rely on specific media servers or proprietary engines, Nuke Stage runs on general production hardware and can synchronize across multiple render node clusters. This flexibility allows productions of all sizes to implement virtual production without major changes to infrastructure.
The application is built on a linear color pipeline with full HDR support and OpenColorIO integration. This ensures color consistency throughout the entire process—from initial concept to on-set monitoring to final post-production color grading. A consistent color management system reduces the risk of visual discrepancies and supports collaborative work between departments.
A Unified Production Environment
Foundry designed Nuke Stage to centralize the virtual production workflow, bringing together pre-production, real-time iteration, and post-production in a unified environment. The compositing interface is modeled after the Nuke family of products, which is widely used in the VFX industry. This makes it accessible to artists familiar with the Nuke ecosystem, minimizing training time and maximizing productivity.
The end-to-end pipeline helps eliminate data handoff issues and reduces the possibility of costly errors or rework. Creative intent can be preserved from initial planning through final delivery, supporting a more efficient and predictable production process.
Key Nuke Stage features include:
- Built for virtual production: A purpose-built standalone software solution, Nuke Stage requires no other virtual production, ICVFX tools, or game engines.
- Hardware-agnostic: No need for specialist media servers or bespoke equipment. Productions can use their preferred hardware and easily synchronise across render node clusters to support stages of varied size.
- Real-time playback of photorealistic content: Artists can use industry-standard VFX tools and asset formats to create high-resolution backgrounds, then play them back as 2D, 2.5D and 3D imagery on LED walls.
- Live compositing: Manipulate and blend virtual and physical sets with a powerful node-based compositing toolkit optimized for real-time performance.
- Comprehensive color support: A linear workspace and full support for OpenColorIO and HDR ensure a clear color pipeline from pre- to post-production, making it easier to seamlessly blend physical elements with virtual environments.
- Familiar UI: Part of the market-leading Nuke family: A color management system, industry-standard file format support, and a node-based compositing toolkit similar to Nuke provide artists with a familiar and efficient workflow for building imagery before and during principal photography.
- End-to-end creative control: A single production pipeline enables refinement of content from principal photography through to post-production, ensuring creative continuity and reducing the risk of costly rework.
Industry Reception and Use Cases
Feedback from the VFX and virtual production community has highlighted the practical benefits of Nuke Stage. Dan Hall, Head of ICVFX at 80six, emphasized that the tool fills a long-standing gap between virtual production and traditional VFX workflows. He noted that trust between on-set teams and VFX departments is essential, and Nuke Stage helps establish that by unifying the toolsets and visuals seen during filming.
Sam Kemp, Production Technical Lead at Garden Studios, shared similar thoughts, pointing out that the ability to bring VFX compositing tools into real-time use on set is a significant advancement. This allows teams to adjust both 3D and 2D assets on the fly, something that has long been missing from virtual production.
Connor Ling, Virtual Production Supervisor at Framestore, said that VFX supervisors familiar with Nuke would find Nuke Stage especially useful, as it enables seamless transitions between real-time previews and final composites. This alignment reduces confusion and strengthens the creative link between what is captured on set and what is delivered in post.
Advancing the Future of VFX
As virtual production continues to evolve, tools like Nuke Stage represent a shift toward more integrated and responsive filmmaking. With the rise of LED volumes and real-time engines, the industry demands solutions that are both flexible and precise. Nuke Stage addresses these needs by combining compatibility, color accuracy, and intuitive interfaces into a single platform. By standardizing workflows and supporting open file formats, the tool enables collaboration across departments without sacrificing control or quality.
